Last Revenge
by Jane Heartilly
Summary: Ultimacia's last revenge at Rinoa and her loved ones, what will happen? Will someone die? Squinoa, R&R!!
1. The Garden Festival

Last Revenge

  
  


Chapter 1: The Garden Festival

  
  


It had been a whole year already since they all had defeated the sorceress Ultimecia and Selphie had thrown a party to honor that day. All of Balamb Garden was decorated and every one of it's inhabitants was in it's best mood.

Since that day one year ago, Headmaster Cid had shared his leadership with Squall and he was to become the new headmaster when Cid was to retire. All others of the party had been officialy rewarded with a new status. They were in charge of all important duties of Balamb Garden, they were like Squall's helpers. No one mind being in a lesser status as Squall, he never treated them differently, nor did the pupils of the Garden. It was not like they were the big people, they were all the same.

Rinoa had taken her place among the people of Balamb Garden as well, yet had not paid attention to receiving her Seed rank, unlike Irvine, whom had achieved it with enormous ease. Cid had told her it was only for the papers, they would treat her no different, except for the dormitory. No matter how much Squall and she had asked the headmaster, he had not agreed on them sharing a dorm, "If you start, then all of the students will ask for this and judge me for giving you priority" he had spoken. Squall had eventually agreed with his decision, as did Rinoa, but they still felt it was wrong. Rinoa had taken a dorm among the young non-Seeds of Balamb Garden, though did have one of her own. And all of her friends were on the other side of the dormitory, which was too far away for her liking. It was almost a five minute walk to the rooms of Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Squall.

  
  


*~*~*~ Squall's POV~*~*~*

  
  


Selphie's Festival was once more a big hit and she had managed to create a group of over ten persons to aid her with the festivals. Selphie really was a Festival Queen. Irvine was by her side always, kind and encouraging words always there for his Selphie. He had tried to win the small girl for himself all year now, but she did not go in on his advances. She pretended to be so ignorant. I myself had to encourage Irvine sometimes, how he was so terribly sad Selphie completly ignored him. Often I had told him he had to let her know she was the only one for him, that he should not let his eyes wander to others.

I walked across the room, searching for the woman I loved when my eyes fell upon a couple in the corner of the room, kissing passionatly. I squeezed my eyes to see who they were when I finally found out and laughed. Irvine and Selphie, she finally did react then.

I always knew she liked Irvine a lot, the moment they met in the train, when he had put up one of his charades, never knowing he would fall for her and her alone for real. How she had spoken of her heart beating and the strange feeling she held within herself. Back then I had not known what that meant, but now I did, now that I had my own angel. Where was she? She had told me she would meet me here at the festival about ten minuts ago!

I walked around some more, talking to some people here and there until I ran into Quistis. 

"Hi Squall, have you seen Zell around?" she asked. Squall shook his head, "No, nor Rinoa, but I have seen Selphie and Irvine" I smiled. A lovely smile lit Quistis' face, "Yeah, truly, madly, deeply in love, finally" she rolled her eyes. "Poor Irvine was about to do the craziest things to show her he did love her and Selphie just kept on ignoring him. She plays a sneaky little game" she laughed. "Indeed she does" I only commented, scanning the room once more for Rinoa.

I suddenly realised how Quistis looked, she had this great dress on, looking stunning to say the least and a scene popped back in my head...

I looked into her blue eyes deeply, serious, "Quistis, I'm sorry" I only spoke. A frown came upon her face and her eyes questioned me. Before her voice could form the words, I explained; "A little more as a year ago, the Garden Festival, I was incredibly rude to you.... I am sorry for my actions back then.... And...I am sorry I cannot or could not return your feelings, it is not like you are too less, for you are fairly beautifull... I just, you know..I..." I did not know how to express my feelings once more, I did not know how to apologize for this, I must've hurt her bad, but before I could continue my stuttering, Quistis interrupted me, "You are forgiven Squall Leonheart, I know now too it was not meant to be.... and thank you for your kind words" she smiled at me, "I now know it was not the love you share with Rinoa, it was from way back when we were in the orphanage, I only wished to look after you as a big sister. But now I do as a good friend".

Her wise words made sence, indeed that was what she could have been, was I not such a loner. I watched her leave, mingling herself among the people once more.

Suddenly I saw Zell walking, he must've arrived a couple of moments ago. I decided to ask him if he knew what was keeping Rinoa.

  
  


*~*~*~Normal POV~*~*~*

"YO Squall!" Zell saw Squall approaching and immediatly walked towards him. "So, Selphie really did it this time ey!" Squall nodded, but paid no further interest, "Have you seen Rinoa?". To his surprise Zell nodded, "She was on her way to her dorm some time ago, said she had forgotten something. Y'know she did not look to well". Squall sighed and nodded, "She has been ill of late, fever and a little short on air. Doctor Kadowaki said it was nothing to worry about, just a small illness she said".

Zell sighed, "This has not been the first time though, seems it is getting worse, right?". Squall simply nodded, "Nothing to worry about she told me, as well as Rinoa herself".

"Hey guys!" Zell and Squall immediatly turned at the sound of the voice. "Sorry I'm late". And there she stood, Rinoa in a beautifull blue evening dress. A silence fell while both men kept their eyes upon her. "What? Something wrong with my dress? No, that can't be, I checke..."

Squall had her mouth covered with his vingertips, "You are beautifull....like an angel..." he knew not what more to say. Zell simply nodded, lost for words as well.

  
  


*~*~*~Rinoa's POV~*~*~*

  
  


Don't they look cute together, both lost for words and staring at me. I felt myself giggle at their reaction. "Thank you" I then spoke to both of them. My eyes turned to Squall and for a moment I gazed in his beautifull blue eyes, instantly being remembered what life was worth. It then hit me again, again I had almost forgotten, I turned to Zell. "I have a gift for you".

Zell's eyes went wide and confusion clearly flashed in his eyes, "For me?" he almost stutterd. I nodded and giggled again, "It is in your dorm". He smiled and ran off, shoving some people out of his way. I laughed out loud, then turned to my love again, "dance?" I asked in my sweetest way.

"Ofcourse" he answerd as he took my hands and led me upon the dancefloor. I looked him in his eyes and felt his hands touch me as we started to dance. "You look a bit better" he spoke softly to me. I nodded, "Feel a bit better too" I lied to him.

I did not feel so well at all, but I was good at hiding it, even for my lover. Lately I have been feeling these strange feelings in my chest, as if something was crushing it, making it impossible for me to breath normally. Sometimes I even coughed up small amounts of blood, but they were real small, not worth mentioning to anyone... Probably a small wound because of the hard coughing, like a noseblood when you blow your nose too often too hard.

I smiled at Squall's face, he was so concerned for me sometimes, yet I had managed to convince him there was nothing wrong with me. And to my luck the doc had him convinced as well. Well, most of the time that is.

"Rinoa, the dance is over, let's get something to eat and drink" Squall shook me out of my thoughts as he guided me too the table which held the food and drinks. I looked at Squall taking a piece of this and that when suddenly I felt myself being lifted in the air and swung around. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" I kept hearing. "Zell! Please put me down! You're making me dizzy!" After another three rounds he had put me down finally and now he was clung onto my neck. "Thank you Rinoa, can't tell ya what it means to me!".

It felt great to see Zell in such a way, he was such a sweet guy and all he did was keeping up with all set backs life threw at him and still he remained Mister Positive always. He did deserve this. 

I smiled and then looked at Squall's face, his eyebrows lifted up and a strange questioning expression on his face. Made him look ever so different as his normal self and I started to giggle at the sight. "Don't you look silly" I laughed. "What's going on?" he spoke, totally ignoring me laughing at him. "I gave Zell a new hoverboard, to stunt with and...", "But those are not allowed here" Squall interrupted me. "Ahem, and to teach some student how to interact with such a board, so they would be able to use these when needed in a Seed mission" I spoke wisely. "Cid agreed and since I am in charge of the funding and new accesoires, I agreed as well, all we now need is your permission, Commander".

I tried to put up my sweetest face and I noticed Zell did the same by my side, Squall could simply not refuse and he knew. With a loud sigh while lifting his hands in the air and rolling his eyes he agreed. Zell was dancing around joyfully and I immediatly clung around my boyfriends neck, thanking him with a thousand kisses.

Suddenly I felt that akward hideous feeling again, pressing heavily upon my chest and blurring my vision. I could hear myself breathing, my heart pounding and fresh new stabs stung me in my chest when I opened my mouth to inhale deeply. I was forced to breath shallow and I felt my body asking more support from Squall's.

"Rinoa?" I felt how two strong gentle hands pulled me a bit backwards, forcing me to stand on my own two legs while a concerned face looked at mine. "Are you okay?" I could hardly make a picture of his face as my sight still blurred all around me. I tried to nod and open my mouth to answer 'yes', but nothing came.

"Squall? What's goin' on?" I fagely heard Zell's voice behind me and Squall's before me, "Rinoa, can you hear me? Rinoa, what's wrong with you?" The voices died out and I felt my eyes closing slowly, my body weakening and supporting upon my lover's hands. It hurt, my chest hurt so badly, all I wanted was peace from it, all I wanted was.... "Squall" and then darkness...


	2. I'm Fine!

Last Revenge

  
  


Chapter 2: I'm fine!

  
  


*~*~*~Squall's POV~*~*~*

  
  


Last thing she said was my name... I couldn't get that out of my head, how I wished she was alright. Along with Zell I had managed to get Rinoa to Doctor Kadowaki without drawing any attention from anyone. And now she was in there with the Garden's only doctor and here I sat, Zell anxiously walking circles beside me. I felt so frantic within myself, if something would happen to her I.....I don't know what then. After a few minuts I became frustrated, why was this happening to her, what was it with, nothing worse, just a simply flew. She would not pass out with simply a flew now would she?

I heard Zell pace beside me, one, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three, each time the same way, each time the same sound. Eventually the sounds were getting at me and I reached out my hand, got a firm hold of Zell's jacket and threw him upon the chair beside me. "Please Stop Doing That" I had lost my selfcontrole, the ease I normally had, but I did not care, all that mattered was Rinoa....

  
  


*~*~*~Normal POV~*~*~*

  
  


The chair almost fell over when Zell was thrown against it and he raised his eyebrow at Squall, who kept on looking downwards. Then tried to keep quiet beside the young SeeD commander. He understood Squall a bit after all this time and knew better then to agitate Squall at such times. The clock ticked on and it was about midnight, the fireworks were about to start. A small tear formed quietly in Squall's eye when he noticed that. A little more then a year ago.... their dance, the shooting star and the fireworks which ended the amazing chemistry Squall then had with a girl he had never known. Quickly and unnoticeable the SeeD commander had wiped it away, not wanting to look weak in anyone's eyes.

It was only a minuts after the fireworks had started when Dr. Kadowaki came out of the small room in which she had treated the young girl. Squall immediatly stood and anxiously waited for the doctors conclusion. She smiled reasurring and walked up to Squall, putting a comforting hand upon his shoulder, "She is just fine Squall, she only managed to draw to much strenght from herself,"she removed her hands from his shoulders and located her eyes upon the two boys. "She must take rest, A Lot of rest, so keep her bedridden for the upcoming two or three days, she should be just fine after that. I trust you will look after her?" she asked them. Both nodded and Squall opened his mouth to speak a well meant 'thank you', but the doctor stopped him. "No need commander" she whispered as she moved aside to let Squall to his loved one.

  
  


*~*~*~~Rinoa's POV~*~*~*

  
  


I opened my eyes slowly and realised it was already night, what had happend? Have I missed the party? The last waltz...the fireworks? I blinked a couple of times and moved my hand towards the switch of my light. I turned on the light and yawned widely, I felt terribly tired once more. This has been going on for so long now and for some reason Doctor Kadowaki could not find the reason for it. I stretched myself and tried to keep my eyes open, sleep was ever so welcome, yet I needed to know what had happend first. With eyes closed I sat myself straight up and tried to remember what had happend. The dizzyness in my head was not helping at all, it was only confusing me more. I had to find Squall, he could tell me what had happend. Last I remembered I was with him and Zell and I got so terribly dizzy and tired all of a sudden. I opened my eyes and looked around me, squinting them a bit 'cause they still needed to adjust to the light. I looked over to my left side and was a bit startled by what I saw, Squall, on a chair beside my bed. He was asleep though, bend over on the edge of my bed, fallen asleep on his own arms. I smiled at the sight, he must've watched over me...

I adverted my eyes to the clock and found out it was about 3 am, yeah, I had missed the party. I sighed of frustration, I hated what happened to me, I hated my tiredness, my tight feeling in my chest, the coughing, the dizzyness, all of it. Ofcourse I had not told the doctor all of this, no point in fussing over little old me was there? I will be fine! I told myself this over and over again, which made the lies easier to make. I sighed again and moved my left hand over to Squall's head as I gently stroked through his hairs. "Squall", "Squall, wake up", I kept on whispering to him until finally he woke up.

"Hey" I smiled at him. His eyes also needed to adjust for a moment, but it did not take him long before he realised what was going on. I saw in his eyes he wanted to jump around my neck in excitement, to cry of happiness, but ofcourse he restrained himself and his eyes stopped showing his emotions... that was Squall once more. I had often tried to change him and I was succeeding a bit, at times he really did show his emotions, but I knew he always cared. He even tries to fake himself at times, but I know him far too well, I know when he feels certain things and when he does not, like now...

"You are awake" he only spoke, his voice giving away his concern. I nodded at him, "what happend?". And he explained it to me, what had happend and what was to happen the upcoming days. Ofcourse I disagreed, being bedridden was more awfull than anything! Besides, I would have to leave Angelo to someone else! In the end I had convinced Squall and made him promise he would not keep me bedridden for over two days. I had to promise him I would get some sleep those two days and to do nothing to exhaust myself. Actually I needed the rest I could get in the upcoming two days, I really was over the edge, so exhausted I could not lift my own two hands easily.

"I have to go..." Squall spoke after a long silence. Was I actually doing the same thing Squall always did? Were we both actually thinking for over a minute in silence? I shook my head and hoped I would not make this a habit, like it was Squalls and nodded at him. "I know" I spoke softly and dissapointed. "Well...ehhm...please take it easy then, I will bring you breakfast in the morning". I raised my eyebrows, was he actually serious? Was he leaving me like this? I saw him walking towards my door, preparing to leave. He was, wasn't he?

"Sit" I ordered him as I pointed my finger towards the seat he was sitting on before. He looked confused, but obeyed silently. "Please do not be like this, you can show me you love me you know....it ain't no crime and I promise I won't tell anyone else" I smiled at him.

He lowered his head and closed his eyes, in thought once more... then he nodded! "I am sorry Rinoa, you know I care about you more than anything...I...I just do not always know how to express myself, I am still not used to it" he spoke honestly. I nodded, "I know, but I am glad you can sometimes to me, I need to hear it sometimes too...need to know I am special" I felt sad inside, was I special? I did not feel special at all, I felt guilty for lying and I still was not one of them, I wasn't special at all....

"You are always special to me my angel, I.....I.....I love you" I finally heard. Tears flooded to my eyes as I lifted my head and enclosed myself in the warm embrace waiting for me. "I know you are not one of the orphanage gang Rinoa, but that is what makes you special. You are still one of us, even without that connection, you have opened our hearts on your own...."

For minuts I lay there in his embrace until weariness caught up with me once more. Squall had noticed and lay me back to bed, kissing me softly on my forehead. "I will be back by morning" he whispered as he turned out my light and left. I almost instantly fell asleep with a most wonderfull feeling.

  
  


*~*~*~Normal POV~*~*~*

  
  


All of the gang, but Seifer and Squall sat at a cafetaria table, grave faces turned to another. It had been only moments ago when Zell had told the others what had happend the other night. Ofcourse it was not a disaster or anything, yet they all felt sad at it. Irvine and Selphie holding hands tightly, Quistis silently staring at the ceiling, Zell playing absently with his food. "C'mon guys, she's going to be just fine! After a few days of rest she will be her old self, it's no use for us to worry about it" Irvine finally spoke, his optimistic words always there when needed. Selphie nodded and chimed in, "We just have to make it as pleasurable as we can for her! Angelo needs walking and she probably hates this bedridden-thing!". Irvine smiled at the cheerfullness of his new girlfriend and felt an inner happiness running through his veins just by looking at her. "Indeed" Quistis agreed smiling. All now looked at Zell, who had his doubts because of worry, but they had him convinced soon. "ALRIGHT! Let's do it!".

"I'll go get Angelo and take him for a walk" Quistis offered. "I'll find Squall, see how he's holding up. Believe he was training in the training center" Zell said. "He was," Quistis confirmed, "working off his own concern and frustration probably". Zell nodded and headed off with Quistis.

Smiling Irvine turned to Selphie, "C'mon sunshine, let's surprise Rinoa with our visit" he spoke. "Tee-hee!" Selphie agreed as she hugged her boyfriend, "You are the greatest Irvy, you cheered everybody up! I luv u!". She kissed him on the lips fully, then headed off. Irvine, caught off guard by the sudden kiss and the wonderfull feeling it gave him, realised a ten seconds to late she was already gone and ran after her....

  
  
  
  
  
  


Rinoa had felt a lot better thanks to her friends support and cheerfullness. But still she kept certain things to herself, the oppressed breathing, the dizziness and the blood she had coughed up a couple of times. And how these things did not leave her, she kept them hidden and kept lying when people asked her how she was doing. Often she had the need to tell Squall and the others how things really were, but she would not want to be the cause of their worry and stress. It was nothing, she had convinced herself. The two days she had to remain bedridden were not as long as she had imagined them to be, her friends had helped her go through them. She seemed to get well with the passing of days, sometimes a cold would hit her badly again, but she would outrun it in a day or two. Her secret illnesses even seemed to come less often....

  
  


All could not have been better for her, until one day..................................


End file.
